PDF Proofing is the fastest and least expensive way to proof your print file before going to the press. Our prepress department will prepare a Print Ready PDF from your supplied file and send you via email within 1 Business day. The proof is also available in the your online Account at PrintPapa.com. You have to login to your Account at PrintPapa and then locate the order, and click on View Order Details Button to go to the order page. Click on the View Proof button and you will then see all the proofs for that order.
Q1. What does our Pre-Press do to prepare the PDF Proof?
Our prepress team will run your file through a preflight process (think about a 30 point car inspection when you take your vehicle to a auto shop). We do something very similar. Below are some of the things we inspect for?
- Check Artwork Dimension with what you have ordered.
- Check for Bleeds
- Check for Low Resolution Images
- Check for elements that are not within in safe zone.
- Check for Font Sizes.
- Check for Fonts which are not embedded
- Check for Borders which are very close the edge that are at risk of being cut.
- Check for Line Width.
- Flatten all Transparency
- Convert all colors (RGB or Pantone) to CMYK if the job is to be printed in full color.
- Remove all embedded ICC Profiles
- If Job has folding then we prepare a hard copy fold mockup to make sure the folding is correct.
- if Job has Direct mail Services option then we check to make sure that the mail piece follows the USPS Guideline.
- Prepare a PDF file which meets the Adobe Format specification of PDF/X-1a
- We do not fix typos or low resolution images.
Q2. Why do you need the PDF Proof?
The following issues/errors can be caught & corrected before the job gets printed.
-
Position & Placement: That is to make sure all elements and texts
are in the correct place and is not very close to the edge of the paper.
- Missing art or elements due to transparency issues: This is a very
common issue and mostly happens due to different version of Adobe
programs.
- Spelling & Grammatical Mistakes
- Rush Jobs or quick Turnarounds: Usually done via email so no need to
wait for a hard copy proof to be generated and then shipped.
Q3. How much does it Cost?
Bottom Line...Not Very Much!! If you think about all the work which is done by our prepress team to prepare the PDF proof and all the issues it can resolve, the small PDF Proof charge is nothing compared to do. Charges vary from product to product and can be anywhere from $5 for flat products to $50 for multi-page products.
Q4. What is PDF Proofing NOT good for?
For some Jobs PDF proofing is great, but for some it is not. Below are some of the points where PDF proofing is not a good option
- For Color Critical Jobs: PDF Proofing is done on the screen which is in the RGB Space versus Printing which is in the CMYK space.
- Pagination: For multi-page or folded documents, it is very important to see a actual printed hard copy proof.
- Low Resolution Images: On the screen a 72 dpi image will look great, but if printed, then it will look pixilated. Minimum of 300 dpi is required for images getting printed. Very hard to catch if proofing a PDF. Highly recommended for a hard copy proof.
Q5. What are the Charges for Additional PDF Proofs?
Your Job comes with one round of PDF Proof. We understand that sometimes people need to make changes, so we provide a second round of FREE PDF proof. Any additional PDF proofs generated will incur additional charges which will be added to the order and charged on the same credit card used to place the order. You can view
the cost for additional proofs here
Article ID: 3, Created: 8/8/2010 at 11:17 PM, Modified: 12/21/2012 at 4:09 PM